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Green Lantern Corps #22 Review

Remembering back to Emerald Twilight a few years ago. Boodikka remembers her last battle with Hal Jordan as he was possessed by Parallax and was killing Green Lanterns on his way to Oa. The two tussled forever before Hal offered her a choice of surrendering her ring. Boodikka refused saying it would have to be cut off before she would give it to him. In doing so, Hal cuts off Boodikka’s right hand and takes her ring leaving her to die in space. (As we know should would be taken prisoner by the Manhunters after Jordan left) We return to the present as Boodikka now an Alpha-Lantern is facing the Blood Sisters of Bellatrix and her sister, Zale who is now a Green Lantern. As Boodikka’s systems begin to repair her body, Zale learns what Boodikka has become and Recca realizes the Guardians are aware of what they are doing. However, before she can do anything, Boodikka frees herself and tells Zale they are going to Oa. Zale responds by firing at her sister telling her she isn’t going anywhere. That she will not abandon the Blood Sisters like she did. Boodikka tells her that Zale has disobeyed the laws of the Guardians of the Universe and she will use deadly force if necessary to bring her in. Zale responds: “Then use it!”

Boodikka tells her that she must stand down that its her duty to report to Oa. Zale attacks Boodikka again telling her that same duty took her away from them and her duty is to protect her sisters since they need her. Recca tries to attack Boodikka again with her laser but Boodikka has adapted to the attack and begins power retrieval taking away the ring’s energy. The group attacks Boodikka but with her now at full strength, counter attacks. She out matches her former partners with ring construct weapons. Zale tries to help but Recca grabs her and Grunt knocks Zale out. Recca tells Grunt that Boodikka will come after Zale and now knowing Boodikka is part Manhunter, she has a weakness. Boodikka traps the other Blood Sisters and goes after Zale. She is then hit with a pulse cannon that is designed to disable Manhunters thanks to a former bounty Recca and the other sisters had on several Manhunters a year ago. Recca tells Boodikka she gave her a warning but she had to continue to serve the Green Lantern Corps and come for her sister. She tells her that Boodikka will not take her ring, she needs it. Recca tells Boodikka after she left, Recca spent years training Zale but she wasn’t as good as Boodikka. Then a power ring came to her and she saw the opportunity to have one of the greatest weapons in the universe. If they take the ring back, she has no need for Zale anymore. She is going to blow the power battery out of Boodikka’s chest and then use Zale to her own whims. Zale breaks free of Grunt and then takes her energy baton and jams it into Recca’s pulse cannon, almost killing her.

Boodikka doesn’t answer she instead tries to complete her mission by decommissioning Zale from the Green Lantern Corps but the Guardians appear in a hologram and tell her to stop. Instead to turn the Blood Sisters over to the local authorities and for them both to come to the Guardian Chamber on Oa. Later, the Guardians tell Zale that she has shown the ability to over come great fear but also expressed great will power to over power her ring from carrying out it’s recruiting mission. However, she used it to capture other ships within her sector. Zale explains the Blood Sisters better known as the Bombers now have made many enemies over the years. There were other bounty hunters looking for them so they instead used her ring to disable them but also left them to die on the sands of Bellatrix. The crews were found and returned to their ships before Boodikka took Zale back to Oa. One of the female Guardians tell Zale she has forgone her trial and has had charges brought against her by Boodikka. Zale tells the Guardian she is ready to receive her punishment. One of the male Guardians tell her she will not be decommissioned. Instead she will be placed on probation and partner with her sister, Boodikka to patrol their sector together. While both are shocked, Boodikka asks if Zale is getting off because her relationship to her. She tells Zale that she will not be like the Green Lantern Harvid who lets his brother, Haasp constantly escape even though he is a member of the Sinestro Corps. The female Guardian tells Boodikka they have reviewed the ring’s logs of the events and finds that Zale’s actions were innocent but there will still be repercussions. Zale will not receive a power battery, instead she must recharge her ring from Boodikka at all times until the two have set aside their differences and Zale is ready to be on her own. They understand and accept. In doing so, the Guardians give Zale her badge and Boodikka her second power ring. They tell them to recite their oaths and accept their duties as partners, which they do. Not far away in Sector 112, Graf Toren and Tomar-tu have found Hannu’s ship from Green Lantern #28. They find the ship torn apart and Hannu barely alive thanks to his ring. They ask what happened and Hannu tells them: “it took her, it took her.” When they ask: “what?” He responds: “A red ring.”

Well, that is how your follow up a story arc and keep going. “Curse of the Alpha-Lantern” takes place almost after Laira’s trial over in Green Lantern and doesn’t miss a beat. Sterling Gates kept this story flowing perfectly and his showing about Boodikka’s last battle with the Parallax possessed Hal Jordan from years ago ties into the story nicely. Boodikka can’t just leave her past behind and be a Alpha-Lantern she has to face it and let go. Not just with what Hal Jordan did to her but also with her former partners and her sister, Zale. I have to say that I really like Zale. She is very different and having her partnered with Boodikka now on most of her mission is great. The two are going to have to accept each other again and leave both their pasts behind. They are Green Lanterns now, one is a top officer and the other is a rookie. They still have growing to do and hopefully they’ll find themselves in the middle. I also like they play into both subplots with the yellow ring quest and the upcoming Red Lanterns story line. I’m glad that Hannu is ok but Laira left one hell of a parting gift in his chest. I think we’re seeing more clues that Graf is going to switch to the Blue Lantern Corps. His friends and allies have all been torn apart by the Green Lantern Corps and he’s losing faith in them.

Props to Nelson on his incredible pencils this issue, this book didn’t get dull one bit. He stays on top the whole way and him showing just what an Alpha-Lantern can do is a real treat. He also keeps the Bombers looking all unique and not just a bunch of alien Xena wannabes.